How to choose the right Teddy Bear dog breeder
Choosing the correct Teddy Bear puppy can be a difficult decision. Most first-time puppy buyers have a number of questions running through their head:
Where do I start looking?
Are there any Teddy Bear breeders near us?
Which breeders can we trust?
These are all important questions and making sure you find a breeder that is local, trustworthy, and humane is extremely important. At miniteddybearpuppies.com we hope to be able to help you answer all three of those questions by providing you with information on trusted Teddy Bear and Mini Teddy Bear breeders across the country. However, it will be important that you also “do your homework” and make sure that the breeder you choose is the right one for you.
5 Tips for choosing the right breeder:
1. Call and talk to them over the phone
Sometimes our intuition can be our best guide. Be sure to call and talk to your breeder before deciding to make a purchase on-line. Talking person-to-person over the phone can often give you a good idea about what type of individual you will be dealing with. If they seem genuine, courteous, and helpful over the phone, then chances are they are like that in real life as well. If they are short, rude, seem bothered or agitated, then you may want to reconsider doing business with them.
It can be easy for a jerk to put up a website that looks great, or sound genuine over an e-mail. Ensure that you are comfortable talking with them over the phone. A good rule of thumb is: Do they sound like a person you would enjoy spending a two hour car ride with? If not then you may want to reconsider and look for a better option. After all, nice people usually raise nice puppies.
2. Have a detailed set of questions to ask them
This can be done in person, but we recommend doing it during that initial phone conversation. Asking a set of specific questions will let you know two things: How knowledgeable the breeder is, and if they are willing to take the time to help you out. You definitely want to find a breeder who is extremely knowledgeable about their Teddy’s, it is a good sign that they have experience as a breeder and are doing things to ensure your puppy is healthy from the time they are born to the time they arrive at your house. Some example questions include:
a. What shots and vaccinations have the puppies had? – What shots will they need in the future? b. Have they had any training at all? c. What type of solid foods have the puppies been eating? d. How many breeding dogs do you own? e. How long have you been breeding Teddy Bear Dogs?The answers to these questions can give you some insight into the breeder’s knowledge and the type of business that they run.
3. Ask for three references from customers in the past year
Getting to hear about other people’s experience with this breeder can give you some valuable insight into the experience you are about to go through. Asking for recent references will give you a current idea about how the buying process will go for you. If the breeder is apprehensive or hesitant to give you any references, that may not be a good sign. If he is more than happy to give you the information, call at least one of the references and ask about their experience with the breeder and how they like their Teddy. This can also give you valuable insight into how the puppies are acting once they move to their forever home.
4. Ask to take a tour of their breeding facilities
For some breeders this will be a very small area, for others, it could be very large. Make sure that the breeder is keeping their dogs in a humane environment, the way that you would expect from a responsible person to keep them. The dogs should not be overpopulated, dirty, or living in foul smells. They should have a spacious environment with an area to run outside.
Make a note of the disposition of the dogs you see, do they look happy and healthy? Are they being well-fed and groomed properly? Matted hair, long cracked nails, and sores around the mouth and feet can all be signs of dogs who are not taken care of in a proper way. Make sure you are comfortable with the environment your puppy is coming from, and resist the urge to “rescue” a dog from a poor environment. This will only enable a poor breeder to continue their poor breeding practices.
5. Choose your breeder BEFORE you choose your puppy
It can be very easy to “fall in love” with a puppy you see on-line, especially a Teddy Bear puppy. Some people even make the decision to buy a particular puppy before they have done any other research. Resist this urge! Don’t make a decision to buy until you have weighed all the factors. It is very important that you choose a puppy who is happy, healthy AND comes from a reputable breeder that you have checked out.
Go into the process with an open mind, be ready to walk away if the breeder doesn’t meet your high standards. This not only will ensure that you get a healthy, happy puppy, but it will also ensure that poor breeders do not get business until they improve their standards and practices.
Teddy Bear puppies are incredible dogs, and when you find the right breeder, you will find the right puppy. Be sure that you are very diligent in your selection process. You will be living with this puppy for the next 10-12 years, make sure you choose a puppy and a breeder who will make the process as smooth as possible.
For more tips on choosing the right breeder, check out this article by Humane Society.
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